Clarence Valley Council has been directed by the Northern Regional Planning Panel to agree to an amended proposal for a Yamba manufactured home estate which is subject to an appeal in the Land and Environment Court.

In May 2023, a development application DA2023/0241 was lodged by Clifton Yamba Land Pty Limited ATF Yamba Land Trust seeking consent for construction of a 216 dwelling Manufactured Home Estate on land at 110 and 120 Carrs Drive, Yamba.

As the proposed development was valued at $79,797,000.00 and considered as regionally significant it was determined by the Northern Regional Planning Panel (NRPP).

On October 31, 2024, the NRPP refused the DA.

The development application was amended on December 18, 2024, seeking consent for construction of a 146 dwelling Manufactured Home Estate.

During the Council’s exhibition period, 224 submissions were received objecting to the amended development application.

In the May 28, 2025, edition of the CV Independent it was reported that Clarence Valley Council (CVC) face costs of at least $91,000 over the appeal.

Last week residents who had made submissions to Council in relation to the amended DA received 2 emails from Local Government Legal’s Senior Lawyer, Sarah Holmes, who is acting for CVC, advising them of the direction made by the NRPP.

“As a result of these amendments and expert reporting in the proceedings, on 7 May 2025 the Panel directed Council to enter into an agreement with the applicant under section 34 of the Land and Environment Court Act 1979 in the proceedings, requesting the Court to make orders granting conditional consent to the DA on appeal,” the first email stated.

“The Court has advised that objectors be notified of Council’s intention to enter into such an agreement.

“The parties’ agreement under section 34 of the Court Act is in the process of being finalised, and we anticipate that it will be filed with the Court later this week.

“We will advise of any feedback from the Court in due course.”

Then at 2.53pm on Wednesday, May 28, residents who lodged submissions objecting to the proposal were sent another email from Ms Holmes.

“The Court has advised that any objectors wishing to speak against the parties’ proposal to ask the Court to grant consent to the DA in accordance with an agreement under section 34 of the Court Act may do so by audio-visual link at 10am on 2 June 2025,” the email stated.

“Once any such objectors have spoken, any conciliation before the Commissioner(s) of the Court would be conducted in the courtroom with only the parties and their representative present and able to observe the conciliation.

“In this regard, court policy indicates that there should be no more than six (6) resident speakers who address the Court.”

Residents who intended to speak were advised to contact Local Government Legal by 10am last Friday.

The CV Independent will publish the outcome of this process in a future edition.

This article appeared in the Clarence Valley Independent, 4 June 2025.